United States

China

U.S.-China Relations

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone on Nov. 24, Bloomberg reported. Trump accepted Xi's invitation for an April 2026 visit to Beijing and invited the Chinese leader for a reciprocal state visit to the United States, while Xi emphasized that Taiwan's "return to China" remains foundational Chinese policy.

U.S., China: Trump and Xi Discuss Reciprocal State Visits During Phone Call

Japan

Taiwan

Military & Security

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi confirmed that plans are "steadily moving forward" to deploy medium-range surface-to-air missiles on the island of Yonaguni, around 110 kilometers (70 miles) east of Taiwan, Bloomberg reported Nov. 24.

Japan: Yonaguni Missile Deployment Deepens Diplomatic Spat With China

Tanzania

Zambia

Economics

Politics

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema launched the start of rehabilitation works on the Tazara rail line, which connects Zambia's copper-rich regions to the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 21.

Zambia: Government Launches Rehabilitation of Tazara Line With China, Tanzania

Russia

China's top general, Zhang Youxia, met Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Moscow for the countries' highest-level military talks in two years, with both sides pledging deeper cooperation, including on missile defense and reducing the risk of nuclear miscalculation, the South China Morning Post reported on Nov. 21.

China, Russia: Militaries Pledge Deeper Missile Defense and Strategic Cooperation

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted on Nov. 20 to repeal measures put in place in December 2024 to address the Chinese state-backed Salt Typhoon operation that was revealed throughout 2024 to have breached major telecommunications companies in the United States and globally. 

U.S.: FCC Votes To Repeal Telecom Cyber Rules Issued To Address Salt Typhoon

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

The U.S. Commerce Department approved the sale of up to 35,000 of Nvidia's GB300 servers or equivalents to both the United Arab Emirates' G42 and to Saudi Arabia's Humain, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 20. 

U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE: U.S. Approves Sale of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi, Emirati Tech Companies

Cambodia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Thailand

Thailand's anti-corruption body publicly warned that Bangkok's crackdown on crime syndicates and money laundering networks is failing because political, bureaucratic and police elites are taking bribes and protecting criminal groups, The Straits Times reported on Nov. 20.

Southeast Asia: Entrenched Scam Syndicates Face More Raids, Though Leadership Remains Insulated

China resumed a ban on seafood imports from Japan and paused talks to resume Japanese beef imports, according to Kyodo News on Nov. 19, while Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Nov. 19 noted that Beijing would retaliate further if Japan did not apologize for recent remarks about Taiwan.

China, Japan: Beijing Rapidly Expands Retaliations Over Taiwan Spat

Assessments

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

U.S. President Donald Trump (C), joined by lawmakers and members of his administration, delivers remarks during a dinner with leaders of Central Asian countries in the East Room of the White House on Nov. 6, 2025.

Energy

The recent C5+1 summit highlighted the U.S.'s desire to boost cooperation with Central Asian countries on trade and critical minerals, but the region's geography, governance and reliance on China and Russia will ultimately limit the impact of such efforts. 

The Promise and Limits of Increased U.S. Engagement in Central Asia

Brazil

Iraq

Syria

Campaign posters Nov. 6 ahead of Nov. 11 Iraqi parliamentary elections in central Baghdad.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Iraqi Elections, a U.S.-China Deal Enters Effect

South Sudan

Burundi

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ethiopia

Kenya

Malawi

Mozambique

Rwanda

Uganda

Europe

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Over the next decade, Kenya and Tanzania will compete for the title of East Africa's leading trade gateway, particularly as global demand for Central Africa's critical minerals grows. 

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Race to Unlock East Africa, Part 1 

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a photo session for participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 on Sept. 1, 2025, in Tianjin, China.

The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) outlines Beijing's intent to continue current economic policies, pursue new industrial priorities, further securitize Chinese society, escalate Xi's anti-corruption campaign, and use lawfare to fend off foreign trade disputes.

President Xi Lays Out China's Plans for the Next Five Years

Snapshots

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and China's President Xi Jinping leave after their talks at the Gimhae Air Base, in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025. 

The framework deal favors China by boosting its export competitiveness, but future escalations with the U.S. are likely over the coming year due to differing interpretations of the new measures and ongoing trade tensions.

China Secures Favorable U.S. Trade Deal, New Escalations Still Likely

Brunei Darussalam

Timor-Leste

Indonesia

Philippines

Singapore

Vietnam

U.S. President Donald Trump (center) poses for a group photo with the leaders of (L-R) Singapore, East Timor, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia and Laos during the ASEAN leaders summit on Oct. 26, 2025. 

The summit highlighted the Southeast Asian bloc's attempts to boost internal unity and economic integration amid the U.S.-China rivalry, but it also exposed structural divides and external pressures that hinder unified action and leave ASEAN states vulnerable to coercion.

The Takeaways From the 2025 ASEAN Summit

Columns

On Geopolitics

Germany

Slovakia

Hungary

Ukraine

European Council President Antonio Costa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive for a meeting of the European Council on Oct. 23. The EU pursuit of geopolitical independence is being severely tested by Russia's direct security aggression, China's control over critical raw materials and competing economic pressures from the United States.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The EU pursuit of geopolitical independence is being severely tested by Russia's direct security aggression, China's control over critical raw materials and competing economic pressures from the United States.

Europe's Dual Challenge From China and Russia

Cameroon

Cote d'Ivoire

Argentina

South Korea

Netherlands

Supporters of Argentine President Javier Milei's Liberty Advances (LLA) party wave flags during a campaign rally in Rosario, Argentina, on Oct. 23, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: Argentina Holds Midterm Elections, Trump Travels to Asia

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and U.S. President Donald Trump speak to reporters during a bilateral meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Oct. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Trump and Albanese agreed to tighten defense and supply chain integration as a way to reduce their countries' reliance on China, but industrial bottlenecks mean implementation will be slow.

U.S.-Australia Leadership Summit Yields Critical Minerals Pact, AUKUS Reaffirmation

Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Oct. 21, 2025.

Sanae Takaichi's appointment as prime minister will reduce short-term political instability in Japan and strengthen U.S. ties, but her conservative government will struggle to recover domestic support and could alienate neighboring countries.

New Premier Takaichi a Quick Fix for Japan's Long-Term Political Problems

Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, and other senior government members and deputies attend the second plenary session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People on March 8, 2025, in Beijing, China.

The key political meeting will fill vacant Party seats and update economic and security goals, offering insights into China's policy priorities and the trajectory of Xi's political purges for the next five years. 

What To Watch for During China's Fourth Plenum

Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected LDP leader, on Oct. 4 in Tokyo.

Takaichi will lean into populism, spurring near-term growth but exacerbating long-term economic challenges, while her nationalism will bolster Japan's military and boost U.S. ties even as it strains those with Japan's neighbors.

Japan's Conservative Takaichi Set To Become Next Prime Minister

<p>China is situated on the eastern third of the Eurasian landmass, between Russia, mainland Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. Its more than 9,000 mile-long coastline abuts the Yellow, East and South China Seas. China is a country of deep geographic divisions. Most fundamental is the split between its fertile eastern lowlands and the arid, sparsely populated highlands that enclose the lowlands like a shell. More than a billion people live in the ethnic Han Chinese core, making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Traditionally, threats to China&#39;s Han core originated in the borderlands. To guard against overland invasion, successive Chinese rulers have sought to push the Core&#39;s borders outward &mdash;integrating these highlands as strategic &quot;buffer&quot; zones. These zones form a shield, protecting and containing the core. To be secure, China must control the buffer regions. But maintaining control of the regions, in turn, requires a strong and united core. And that means overcoming immense internal divisions &mdash; not only between northern and southern regions orbiting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, but also between smaller regional units, each with their own geography, history, dialect and interests. Chinese history is defined by cycles of unity and fragmentation, from periods when a strong Han core captures and holds the surrounding buffers to those when a weak core breaks into its constituent parts, loses internal coherence and cedes control of the borderlands. This pattern, rooted in China&#39;s geography, has played out with remarkable consistency. By comparison, China&#39;s maritime interests have remained mostly limited to coastal waters. Today, however, growing international trade and rising Chinese reliance on overseas resources threaten to alter the pattern, adding a new maritime dimension to the struggle for buffer space &mdash; and potentially upending the long-standing dynamics of China&#39;s geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., China: Trump and Xi Discuss Reciprocal State Visits During Phone Call

Japan: Yonaguni Missile Deployment Deepens Diplomatic Spat With China

Zambia: Government Launches Rehabilitation of Tazara Line With China, Tanzania

China, Russia: Militaries Pledge Deeper Missile Defense and Strategic Cooperation

U.S.: FCC Votes To Repeal Telecom Cyber Rules Issued To Address Salt Typhoon

U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE: U.S. Approves Sale of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi, Emirati Tech Companies

Southeast Asia: Entrenched Scam Syndicates Face More Raids, Though Leadership Remains Insulated

China, Japan: Beijing Rapidly Expands Retaliations Over Taiwan Spat

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support